Quid Pro Quo
by Meg Moore
Summary: 'Who holds the dishonor of being your lousiest lay? Yes, I want to know.' Castle and Beckett have a enlightening conversation about the ghosts of lovers past, set early season 5.
She collapses against the sheets, twitching and panting and _oh my god_ , she just saw stars _and_ fireworks. And maybe the face of God.

Castle's in no hurry to vacate the spot he'd taken up between her legs. He takes his time migrating along the length of her body - limp and glowing after that final orgasm - nuzzling her belly, teasing a stiffened nipple with his tongue, nipping at her neck, until he finally settles beside her.

"You okay?"

If she had even an ounce of energy left, she'd consider slugging him in the arm for sounding so damn smug, but after that impressive display of oral skill, she rewards him with a dazzling smile instead.

"I'm _great_ ," she sighs as her eyes drift closed, and wow, is it possible to die from supreme pleasure? She flings her arms over her head, extending her limbs in a cat-like stretch, arching her back and reveling in the loose warmth of her muscles. She honestly can't remember the last time she felt this content, this relaxed.

For that matter, she can't remember the last time she felt this satisfied by a lover. It's not that she hasn't had good sex...she has. Hell, she's had some great sex in her time. But there's a bond that she and Castle share that's unlike anything she's ever experienced. They're physically compatible, for sure, but it transcends that. It makes her want to roll her eyes at herself, but they connect on an almost spiritual level, and it's just...it's amazing.

It also doesn't hurt that he knows how to make her come at least a dozen different ways. She can think of far worse ways to spend her suspension.

She finally pries her eyes open, only to find him admiring her naked body as he strokes one wide, warm palm down her thighs, across her torso, cupping her breasts. She always believed he'd be a very tactile sort of person, and now that he has permission to touch her freely, he does so frequently. And expertly.

"Want me to do that again?"

"Oh my god, gimme a few minutes here Castle! You're insatiable."

"Oh, yeah, like you're one to talk, Miss 'I know it's the middle of the night but I'm horny and want you now so I'm gonna go down on you and then climb aboard and ride you until the sun rises.'"

She barks out a laugh at that, because he's not wrong. She did that very thing just two nights ago. And she definitely initiates sex as often as he does, so they're cut from the same cloth in that regard.

"You loved it."

He flops onto his back then, a shit-eating grin on his face. "That I did. That. I. Did."

He turns to her then and cocks his head, a mischievous glint in his eye.

"So Beckett, tell me...what's the best you've ever had?"

She rolls her eyes, because this question is only one step up from the _what's your number?_ inquiry (a conversation that they finally had shortly after they started sleeping together a few weeks ago). But Castle's curiosity is demanding and bottomless, especially when it comes to her inner workings. She's discovered that it's preferable to take the path of least resistance and just tell him what he wants to know, because he usually rewards her for it spectacularly.

"The best, huh?"

He rolls to his side and props himself up on an elbow, giving her his full attention. "The best. And be honest. I can take it if it's not me."

She smirks at that, because for all his reassurance, there's just the slightest hint of insecurity behind his words. But he needn't worry...he's the best by a mile. That doesn't mean she won't torment him a little first, though.

"Well, there was Charlie back in college. He was pretty wonderful. And then there was Michael, when I was starting out at the academy. God, that man had a mouth on him…"

Castle's face grows pale, his smile slackening with every word she speaks, and _ohhhh_ she can't continue to torture him this way.

"Castle."

"Yeah?"

"I'm teasing you!"

"Wait...you are? So does that mean…"

The shy, sweet smile that she loves so much is returning to his face, and nothing makes her happier than being the source of that joy for him. She rolls to her side then, matching his pose.

"Yes, Castle. You're the best I've ever had. Don't let it go to your head," she adds, knowing she'll pay for this admission, probably in the form of some playful taunts. But she can hardly regret confessing when she fully expects to be rewarded with multiple orgasms.

He flops onto his back and raises his arms in a triumphant pose. "Yes!" he exclaims, earning him a slap to his bicep.

"You are incorrigible, Castle. Okay, now you. Spill it. Who's your best?"

"Oh, there's no competition, Beckett. You win, hands down. No one comes even close to touching you."

The gloating child is gone, replaced by the sincere man intent breaking down any remaining defenses she might be clinging to. He wears his heart on his sleeve for her without a second thought, and his innate openness encourages her to do the same.

"You know what this means?" He fixes her with a very somber stare.

"Hmmm? No, what does this mean?"

"We're ruined for everyone else. We're stuck with each other now. No going back."

Her heart does a quick flip-flop in her chest when he talks so casually about their future. She can envision it so easily with him, in a way she's never been able to (or even wanted to) with any other relationship. It terrifies her and thrills her in equal measure, and she takes a deep, steadying breath, leaving that messy, complicated box of emotions to be opened another day.

"I guess so," she says as lightly as possible, her racing pulse belying her calm exterior.

"But you know, now we have to discuss the flip-side of the coin," he states as he props himself up on his elbow once more.

Her brow furrows at that. The flip-side? "What do you mean?"

"I mean, we've talked about the best. So now you have to come clean about the worst, Beckett."

Her eyes grow wide at that. Does he...are they...is he seriously proposing that they discuss their worst sexual experiences?

"You mean, you want to know…"

"Who holds the dishonor of being your lousiest lay? Yes, I want to know."

She already knows the answer; his was the first name to pop into her head when she realized what Castle was after. But she dreads telling him, because she knows this man, and she's certain she'll never hear the end of it.

"C'mon, Beckett. It's not like I'm going scour your address book so I can tell the guy that you outed him as being terrible in the sack. Listen, tell you what...I'll go first, okay? So, my worst was Tina Fiorella. We dated for a while in my early twenties and I've got one word that describes her demeanor in bed perfectly: corpse.

That sends her into a fit of giggles. A corpse? Oh god, poor Castle. He's such an enthusiastic lover. She'd have to be comatose not to respond to his ministrations.

"Oh jeez, Castle, that's...that sounds awful."

"Tell me about it. I took it _very_ personally. At first I thought maybe she was just shy and inexperienced, but nope! She'd had way more partners than I had at that time, so then I assumed that maybe it was me, maybe I was doing everything wrong for her. But in the end, I think she just...wasn't into sex. She would literally just lay there, motionless and silent. God, it was terrible."

He shakes his head, grimacing at the memory, and she can't help but reach a hand out to smooth the creases of his frown. It constantly surprises her, the intensity of her protectiveness toward him, the way she wants to alleviate his concerns and soothe his sorrows. She loves being the one who gets to do that for him now, thrilled to see his expression turn to one of contentment at her touch.

"Okay then. I told you mine. Only fair that you share next. Quid pro quo and all that."

She takes a deep breath, because she knows - she _knows_ \- how he'll react to this revelation.

"So, my worst was...Will."

His eyes grow wide at hearing that name again after so long. "Sorenson? Seriously? Ho ho, so I guess Mr. FBI didn't have it going on, huh?"

"Not particularly, no."

To her complete surprise, Castle doesn't gloat, growing contemplative instead. "You know, I've gotta say, I'm surprised Beckett. I know you two were pretty serious there for a while. And honestly, now that I know what you're like on an _intimate level_ " - he waggles his eyebrows while making that comment, eliciting a snort of laughter - "and what a passionate woman you are between the sheets, I can't believe you'd be in a relationship with someone with whom you weren't compatible in bed."

"I know. I think I just kept hoping things would improve. We clicked in so many other ways, you know? I wanted to believe that with enough time and patience and practice, we could grow to be compatible on that level, too."

"I take it that never happened."

"No. Will wasn't exactly... _receptive_ to suggestions. He was convinced he knew best, and, well, he didn't."

* * *

" _Ugh. Will, just stop. Stop! Please. I'm kind of uncomfortable here."_

" _Jesus Christ, Kate. Now what?"_

" _Jeez Will, I've been in this position for about twenty minutes and my arm is falling asleep. I'd like to move, if you don't mind."_

" _Now? You have to move now? Great timing. We were almost there."_

" _Um, you know what? Speak for yourself. I was nowhere near the finish line, thankyouverymuch."_

" _What are you talking about? I was doing that thing you like. I thought you were enjoying it. Why didn't you say something?"_

" _I'm saying something now. And that "thing I like" is something you read about in some ridiculous article from a men's health magazine that I've_ never _enjoyed. I know a woman's anatomy seems complicated, but honestly, all you have to do is ask and I'LL tell you exactly what I want, no magazine necessary."_

" _Fine, then I'm asking. Tell me."_

" _Well gosh Will, how romantic. When you put it like that, how can a girl resist?"_

" _Seriously Kate? Just tell me what you want. You were bitching just a second ago that I didn't ask, so I'm asking."_

" _Oooookay, fine. If you really want to know, I'd...well, I'd really like it if you stimulated my clitoris more."_

" _Your clitoris...that's...that's on the outside, right?"_

" _Oh my god, do you seriously NOT know where a woman's clitoris is located? For God's sake Will, it's probably the most sensitive erogenous zone on a woman's body! In fact, most women can only achieve climax through clitoral stimulation. What did you think I was doing when I'd reach down there to touch myself while we were having sex?"_

" _I don't know! I...well, I guess I didn't think about it too much. You seemed to get off just fine so I didn't worry about it."_

" _I was getting off_ just fine _because I was the one getting myself off! Oh my god, this explains so much. And here I thought you were just terrible at oral sex. Turns out you actually had no idea what you were doing down there."_

" _Wait...did you say terrible?!"_

* * *

"Oh. Oh wow. I just...wow." She thinks she may have never seen Castle so inarticulate, her tale of bad sex past rendering him speechless.

"Actually, our sex life was anything _but_ 'wow.' Longest six months of my life in the end. When he left for Boston, I figured it was for the best. We weren't making each other happy, especially in the bedroom. It felt like it had run its course, you know?"

Castle is still shaking his head, obviously unable to wrap his mind around Will's incompetence in bed.

"I'm just flabbergasted by men with that attitude. Who better to teach you about a woman's body than the woman herself? God, I love women who take charge of their pleasure, the ones who are willing to tell me how and where to touch them, or what feels good, or better yet, just show me. Not knowing what your partner wants doesn't make you inherently incompetent, or less masculine. It just means you need to learn their body and their preferences."

Kate's heart surges at this man and his defense of her and her gender, not to mention the hidden depths of maturity and wisdom he possesses. She can admit that there was a time (especially prior to and early in their partnership) that she assumed him to be an unrepentant womanizer, but that label implies a certain level of disrespect toward females and it turned out to be patently untrue. He's all man when they're in bed together, but he has a deep and abiding appreciation and admiration of the fairer sex. The result of being surrounded by strong, smart women all his life, she supposes.

"Well, in all fairness, I haven't had to teach _you_ much at all, Castle." And she hasn't; he knows his way around her body as if he had been furnished with a how-to manual first. He _definitely_ knows where all of her erogenous zones are located, as he proved (several times) just this morning.

"You're just the lucky beneficiary of my years of experience." She rolls her eyes at his faux arrogance, but doesn't bother refuting his claim. _He's not wrong_ , she muses.

"And here's the other thing Beckett...it's just basic anatomy. Even the smallest amount of internet research would have taught him everything he needed to know. Hell, do you have any idea how much I learned about what women want in bed from reading fanfiction? Seriously, that stuff is like being provided with the most detailed roadmap to a woman's body _ever_."

Her eyebrows shoot up at that. "Fanfiction, Castle? _Really_?"

"Hey now, don't make fun! I've read a lot of fanfiction, for a couple different fandoms. No shame in that. There's some amazing stuff out there, Beckett. Just because a person isn't published doesn't mean they're not talented. And a ton of it is written by women, so yeah...I've learned a lot by reading about fictional characters having sex." He shrugs, as though this is the most normal thing in the world.

"I'll take your word for it." She smiles and shakes her head in fascination. Just when she thinks she knows everything there is to know about this man, he finds a way to astound her, make her do a doubletake and rethink everything. He once called her a mystery he'd never solve, but in truth, he's got plenty of surprises of his own to reveal. He continues to excite and intrigue her just by being himself, and before she can think better of it, she's pushing him onto his back and straddling him.

Castle takes their change of position in stride, his heated palms sliding up her thighs, one continuing up to cup her breast and the other slipping between her legs, the copious wetness from his earlier attentions aiding in his quest.

"Tell you what Castle…" She gasps and has to regroup, her pelvis already rocking against his talented fingers, and _oh yes,_ he knows _exactly_ where her clitoris is. "Why don't you demonstrate some of the things you learned in your favorite fanfictions for me."

He grasps her hips then, lowering her to make contact with his own arousal, groaning at the sensation of her gliding hot and slippery against his skin.

"Gladly."

* * *

 _Many thanks to Rach, Lindsey, and J for a fun Twitter conversation that led to this idea. And of course, thank you for taking the time to read. I'd love to hear your thoughts about it._

 _As always, thanks to Alex for the eagle eyes._


End file.
